Moths of North Carolina
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View PDFTortricidae Members: Choristoneura Members: 13 NC Records

Choristoneura obsoletana (Walker, 1863) - Obsolete-banded Leafroller Moth

Choristoneura obsoletanaChoristoneura obsoletanaChoristoneura obsoletanaChoristoneura obsoletana
Taxonomy
Superfamily:
Tortricoidea		 Family:
Tortricidae		Subfamily:
Tortricinae		Tribe:
Archipini		P3 Number:
51a0296		 MONA Number:
3631.00		 Other Common Name:
Obsolete Leafroller
Comments: Species of Choristoneura are Holarctic in distribution and occur mostly in the northern half and boreal regions of North America, the British Isles, Europe and northern Asia.
Identification
Field Guide Descriptions: Online Resources: MPG, BugGuide, iNaturalist, Google, BAMONA, GBIF, BOLDTechnical Description, Adults: Forbes (1923); Freeman (1958)                                                                                 
Adult Markings: The following is based primarily on descriptions by Forbes (1923) and Freeman (1958). The head, palps, antennae, and thorax of the males are pale fawn, while the ground color of the forewing is pale fawn with slightly darker reticulations throughout. The forewing has very limited reddish-brown markings, with the dark basal patch that is present on some Choristoneura missing or obsolete. A small, triangular, subapical patch is usually present but is rather faint. A posteriorly oblique median band is present that extends from the costa to the inner margin, but the central region is obsolete, with distinct dark markings only present on the costa and near the inner margin. The hindwing can be either entirely sordid white, entirely light fuscous, or fuscous on the posterior half and whitish anteriorly and apically. The fringes of all wings are pale and shining. Females are similar but with a darker reddish-brown ground and purplish-black maculations. The forewing of males lack a costal fold and have a convex rather than sinuous costal and outer margin (Forbes, 1923).
Wingspan: 22-23 mm for males and 22-25 mm for females (Freeman, 1958)
Adult Structural Features: Dang (1992) and Freeman (1958) has illustrations of the male and female genitalia.
Genitalia and other structural photos
Adult ID Requirements: Identifiable from good quality photos of unworn specimens.
Immatures and Development: The larvae are leaf rollers but details of the larval life history are undocumented.
Larvae ID Requirements: Identifiable only through rearing to adulthood.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution: Choristoneura obsoletana is primarily found in the eastern US, but scattered populations have also been found in the central Rockies, and in Nevada, Utah, California and Oregon. In the East, the range extends from Maine southward to southern Florida and westward to central Texas, central Oklahoma, central Kansas, Iowa, and Minnesota. As of 2022, we have only three scattered records from the Coastal Plain and eastern Piedmont.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Choristoneura obsoletanaAlamance Alexander Alleghany Anson Ashe Avery Beaufort Bertie Bladen Brunswick Buncombe Burke Cabarrus Caldwell Camden Carteret Caswell Catawba Chatham Cherokee Chowan Clay Cleveland Columbus Craven Cumberland Currituck Dare Davidson Davie Duplin Durham Edgecombe Forsyth Franklin Gaston Gates Graham Granville Greene Guilford Halifax Harnett Haywood Henderson Hertford Hoke Hyde Iredell Jackson Johnston Jones Lee Lenoir Lincoln Macon Madison Martin McDowell Mecklenburg Mitchell Montgomery Moore Nash New Hanover Northampton Onslow Orange Pamlico Pasquotank Pender Perquimans Person Pitt Polk Randolph Richmond Robeson Rockingham Rowan Rutherford Sampson Scotland Stanly Stokes Surry Swain Transylvania Tyrrell Union Vance Wake Warren Washington Watauga Wayne Wilkes Wilson Yadkin Yancey
Flight Dates:
High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
Piedmont (Pd)
Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge 		Image showing flight dates by month for High Mountains greater than 4,000 feet, Low Mountains, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain: adults.
Immature Dates:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

Click on graph to enlarge 		Image showing flight dates by month for High Mountains greater than 4,000 feet, Low Mountains, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain: immatures.
Flight Comments: The adults have been observed from April through December in Florida and from April through October elsewhere, with a seasonal peak typically from June through August. As of 2022, our limited records are from July and August.
Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Local populations can be found in both forested settings and open habitats such as old fields, pine woodlands, and powerline corridors.
Larval Host Plants: The larvae are polyphagous and feed on a taxonomically diverse group of herbaceous and woody species (Freeman, 1958; Ferguson, 1975; Heppner, 2007; MacKay, 1962; Robinson et al., 2010). The known hosts include Celery (Apium graveolens), Black Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa), Common Pawpaw (Asimina triloba), Sensitive Pea (Chamaecrista), Leatherleaf (Chamaedaphne calyculata), strawberries (Fragaria), huckleberries (Gaylussacia), Sericea Lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata), blackberries (Rubus), sennas (Senna), and cattails (Typha). In North Carolina, a larva has been reared from False Boneset (Brickellia eupatorioides). - View
Observation Methods: The adults are attracted to lights. We need information on host use and the preferred habitats in North Carolina.
Wikipedia
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: GNR [S2S3]
State Protection: Has no legal protection, although permits are required to collect it on state parks and other public lands.
Comments: This species appears to be rare in North Carolina, but more information is needed on host use, preferred habitats, distribution and abundance before we can assess its conservation status.

 Photo Gallery for Choristoneura obsoletana - Obsolete-banded Leafroller Moth

Photos: 12
Choristoneura obsoletana
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik, David George on 2025-09-12
Richmond Co.
Comment: 		Choristoneura obsoletana
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik, David George on 2025-09-12
Richmond Co.
Comment:
Choristoneura obsoletana
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik, David George on 2025-08-29
Richmond Co.
Comment: 		Choristoneura obsoletana
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik, David George on 2025-08-29
Richmond Co.
Comment:
Choristoneura obsoletana
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik, Larry Chen, Sarah Toner, Kaitlyn Elliott on 2025-08-16
Richmond Co.
Comment: 		Choristoneura obsoletana
Recorded by: Jim Petranka, Mark Basinger and Becky Elkin on 2025-08-02
Richmond Co.
Comment: Specimen was dissected (female).
Choristoneura obsoletana
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik, David George, Rob Van Epps, Kevin Metcalf on 2025-07-20
Richmond Co.
Comment: 		Choristoneura obsoletana
Recorded by: Jeff Niznik, David George, Rob Van Epps, Kevin Metcalf on 2025-07-20
Richmond Co.
Comment:
Choristoneura obsoletana
Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Rob Van Epps, Kevin Metcalf on 2025-07-20
Richmond Co.
Comment: 		Choristoneura obsoletana
Recorded by: David George, Jeff Niznik, Brian Bockhahn on 2025-05-09
Cumberland Co.
Comment:
Choristoneura obsoletana
Recorded by: Darryl Willis on 2021-07-12
Cabarrus Co.
Comment: 		Choristoneura obsoletana
Recorded by: Mark Shields on 2020-08-23
Onslow Co.
Comment: